March 2010

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How Sweet It Is!! Huskies Throttle New Mexico

March 20, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 6 comments

Paul Sakuma / AP

Paul Sakuma / AP

Anyone else trying to figure out how we got here?

From 12-7 overall (3-5 in the Pac-10) less than two months ago to. . .

THE SWEET 16!

The Huskies obliterated the #8 team in the country, the New Mexico Lobos, 82-64.

The Huskies had plenty of stars, including Quincy Pondexter (18 points, five rebounds), Isaiah Thomas (15 points, seven assists), Matthew Bryan-Amaning (15 points, nine rebounds, three blocks), and Elston Turner.

But, the Dawgs also got significant contributions from unlikely sources, such as Darnell Gant (five rebounds, two blocks) and Abdul Gaddy (five points, three assists, one turnover).

UW now plays one of the most significant games in school history as it attempts to advance past the round of 16 for the first time since Tippy Dye’s 1953 team made the Final Four (in a Tournament bearing little resemblance to today’s 65-team fete).

The Huskies will play the winner of #2 seed West Virginia vs. #10 Missouri next Thursday in Syracuse, NY. More later. . .

Go Huskies! (And, if you’ve seen West Virginia play this season, I hope you’ll join me in a very loud “Go Missouri!”)

Thanks for coming!

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Game Preview: UW vs. New Mexico (Second-Round Game)

March 19, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 4 comments

quincy from aboveStaff writer Alex Tuttle takes a look at Saturday’s game against New Mexico. I think it’s safe to say that this is one of the more important games of the Lorenzo Romar era at UW. What’s more, a win against the Lobos sets up a chance to advance further than the Huskies have since Tippy Dye took the 1953 Dawgs to the Final Four.

by Alex Tuttle – Staff Writer

Who: Washington Huskies (25-9, 11-7 Pac-10) vs New Mexico Lobos (30-4, 14-2 Moutain West, #8 AP, #10 ESPN/Coaches)

When: Saturday, March 20, 2010, 2:50 PM PDT

Where: San Jose, CA

TV/Radio: CBS/KJR 950 AM

Breaking down the Lobos: In their first-round match-up, the third-seeded Lobos knocked off the 14 seed Montana Grizzlies for their first NCAA tournament victory since 1999.  It was an ugly affair for the Lobos, who trailed at halftime, and found themselves in a one-possession game with under a minute to go.

And, in a late-game plot twist, Lobos’ leading scorer Darrington Hobson injured his left wrist and was left questionable for Saturday. An X-ray this morning, though, revealed no break and Hobson is expected to play.

Last night aside, the Lobos have experienced tremendous success this season.  They rolled through the Mountain West conference behind an explosive offense (Ken Pomeroy’s ratings rank the Lobos as the 24th most efficient offense in the nation), and beat Texas A&M and Cal in non-conference play.  To win, the Huskies will need to finish what they started last night and find a way to defend a team with multiple offensive weapons.

The Lobos are long and athletic (only one starter shorter than 6’5″), the type of team that can be a difficult matchup for anyone.  Six players receive the bulk of the Lobos’ minutes, but they have gone eight or nine deep at times this season, not unlike the Dawgs.

Starters & rotation:

Darrington Hobson (6’7″ junior swingman) is the Lobos leading scorer and best player, as well as the media darling of ESPN’s robotic name-memorizer Jay Bilas.  Hobson fills up the stat sheet, averaging 16.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and shoots 35.8% from behind the arc in over 33 minutes per game.

To beat New Mexico, UW must hold Hobson in check.  In the Lobos’ loss to San Diego State in January, Hobson shot 4-17 and finished with 12 points.  In their loss at Oral Roberts, Hobson was 5-14 with 11 points and 5 turnovers.  And when they lost to UNLV, Hobson was held to 14 points on 5-8 shooting.  You get the picture.  If his wrist injury has him playing at anything less than 100% tomorrow night, it could impact the game.

Dairese Gary (6’1″ junior point guard) is the Lobos’ floor general, capable of scoring (12.8 ppg), and also dangerous from behind the arc (career 38.0%).  He averages a steal and 3.9 assists.  Gary has saved his best for last, scoring 19 points per game over their last six.  As the Lobos’ shortest starter, this important defensive assignment will likely fall to Venoy Overton.

Phillip McDonald (6’5″ sophomore guard) is primarily a three-point weapon who helps to stretch an opponent’s defense.  Averaging 10.6 points, McDonald has made 71 treys this year (career 38.6%), and has put up games of 27 and 25 points this year.  But he seems to disappear against stronger competition.  It took him 12 attempts from three to score 15 points against Cal in December, and he scored 10 or less in wins over Texas A&M, Texas Tech, UNLV, and San Diego State (twice).

A.J. Hardeman (6’8 soph. forward) is an efficient interior presence. Although he averages just 7.1 points, Hardeman shoots nearly 54% from the field (but only 48.9% from the line) in anout 22 minutes per game.  He can also be an imposing force defender and rebounder, averaging 1.3 blocks and 5.5 boards.

Roman Martinez (6’6″ senior forward) is a classic wing player who cannot be left open from outside.  He shoots 41.6% from deep, averaging 14 points for the Lobos in just over 30 minutes.  He also grabs 1.5 steals.  He played all 40 minutes against Montana last night, notching 19 points. My guess is that this assignment belongs to Justin Holiday.

Will Brown (6’8″ sophomore forward) is a banger who gives the Lobos an interior presence off the bench.  In just 18 minutes per game, Brown is good for 4.3 points and 3.5 boards.  He also blocked 31 shots and amassed 90 fouls (a Breshers-ian rate of one every six minutes) this season.

The rest of the rotation is primarily a stable of younger guards who come off the bench sporadically and provide more mixed results.  Sophomore guard Nate Garth might be someone to worry about, as he shoots 35% from three in 15 minutes per game this season.  But he has played just 34 minutes and scored just four points since the regular season ended two weeks ago. Freshman guard Jamal Fenton also sees minutes off the bench (11.7 mpg) as an aggressive defender (1.3 fouls, 0.6 steals).

Strengths: When the Lobos are going well, they’re making threes, keeping opponents off the glass, and taking care of the basketball.

As a team, the Lobos shoot 37.1% from behind the arc, with several individual threats that may play together on the floor simultaneously.  The Dawgs were able to neutralize Marquette’s three-point shooting in the second half of their first game, but the Lobos will have more inside presence to work with.

The Lobos’ offensive turnover percentage is good for tenth in the nation (16.2%).  Even in their four losses, the Lobos “only” turned it over a combined 43 times.  And they box out on defense, surrendering the 9th lowest offensive rebounding percentage in the country.

But what stands out about the Lobos most is their balance and versatility, as only one of their primary six rotation players is under 6’5″.  And they can add Brown off the bench to go with Hardeman and two tall wings.  Or they can go heavy on guards.  With Gary, McDonald, and Martinez all on the floor together, they can sub in Garth or Fenton to stretch the defense and add a spark off the bench.

Weaknesses: It’s tough to find many weaknesses in this New Mexico squad since they haven’t lost very many times this season.  But hiding in that sterling thirty-win record are a lot of mediocre victories over marginal opponents.  Seventeen of their victories came over teams outside the RPI top 120.  They have a good (but not amazing) 13-4 record against everyone else.

The Lobos can also be streaky shooters, they rank just 86th in the nation in effective field goal percentage, despite all of their shooters.  Teams that live by the three can also die by it.

And they don’t hit the offensive glass with authority (#72 in the nation), meaning that the Dawgs could have opportunities to get out in transition and set the pace if they can win the battle on the boards.

One thing that startled me when examining New Mexico was their overall size and length (reminiscent of USC).  But, upon closer inspection, the Lobos are nothing like the Trojans defensively.  They may be long, but the Lobos allow an effective field goal percentage of 49.3%, ranking 180th nationally.  By contrast, USC ranked 5th in the nation (43.2%).

And the Lobos do not force many turnovers on defense, which may play into the hands of UW’s guards. Their forced turnover percentage ranks just 158th in division one.

Huskies’ keys to victory:

Tempo: As we saw against Marquette (and Cal), when the Dawgs can set the pace, force teams into taking quick and/or poor shots, grab rebounds and get out in transition, they can beat high-quality opponents.  It’ll be no different against New Mexico.  The Lobos don’t play particularly fast normally, and any team that gets into an up-and-down battle with the Huskies will have a tough time keeping up.

Perimeter Defense: In March, a hot shooting team can be damn near impossible to stop.  UW got the tournament off to a good start by largely minimizing Marquette’s outside shooters on Thursday. They’ll have to continue to defend outside and get a hand in the face of nearby Lobos.

Win the Turnover Battle: New Mexico isn’t as pesky on defense as they are just solid.  They aren’t the ideal team to exploit our propensity for dumb turnovers, but they do protect the basketball.  This will be a clear test of strengths, since the Huskies would like to force turnovers themselves, and have been sloppy at times with the ball this season. Whichever team does a better job containing the other’s strength in this area will have the edge.

Get Tough: Does anyone remember that startling high screen that Louisville set against UW in the Sweet 16 five years ago? That pick set the tone for that game, as Louisville continued to push the Dawgs around all night. This season, we’ve seen our guys struggle when things got physical (against USC, Oregon at home, etc).

Lately, we’ve been the tougher team, playing through pain, taking the ball up strong to the hoop, buckling down on defense in the middle of games, and grinding out victories in crunchtime.  But with the size of the Lobos, it will be imperative for the Dawgs to come out swinging and set the tone themselves. We should expect Hobson to play a full game on Saturday, but a hard (clean) foul on him early on wouldn’t hurt — to show him who’s boss and set the tone.

Fearless prediction: UW’s draw looked a lot better before I took a closer look at the Lobos.  But then again, this Husky team looked a lot worse against Stanford three games ago than they did last night.  And New Mexico looked like a team happy to win a game in the tournament for the first time in 11 years, not like they were ready to win a second. I’m picking Washington, 81-78.

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Another Look at Thursday’s Thrilling Win

March 18, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 23 comments

Paul Sakuma / AP

Paul Sakuma / AP

I still don’t know what to say about tonight’s win. I’m so proud of our guys. Also thrilled to see New Mexico look anything but dominant in their five-point win over Montana.

Thankfully, staff writer Griffin Bennett did manage to put some words to his thoughts. (And reference Kyra Sedgwick? Again?) Here’s a game recap:

by Griffin Bennett – Staff Writer

If you haven’t done so already, you can exhale now. Amazing. That was absolutely, positively, the greatest Husky game I’ve ever witnessed. Quincy now has his “one shining moment”, and it came in an upset win over Marquette from the Big East.

About the game-winning shot, Quincy said, “biggest of my life. It feels so good right now.” Other than “that’s what she said,” I can’t add much more to it than that. This game meant more to him than anyone else on this entire planet. Just try to imagine being on the court for that emotional roller coaster! Husky Nation just cashed in our collective “Q-Pon” for one 15 point comeback and a game winning shot.

Let’s start with the negatives, and save the best for last.

Abdul Gaddy: If Quincy and Isaiah showed nerves of steel tonight, Gaddy had nerves of oatmeal. He completely collapsed under the pressure of the biggest game of his young career and forced too many bad passes. He only played eight minutes but racked up three turnovers. I want to love this guy and keep believing in him, but he hasn’t grown much since November.

Inbounds plays: I’m going to go catatonic if we lob another baseline inbounds pass to a guard outside the arc. It’s infuriating! We have the fastest guards in the country and we can’t set a screen and get them the ball? How is it that we’re still struggling with this after 34 games? I have to make sure I don’t have any sharp objects near me on Saturday.

Matthew Bryan-Amaning: We all expected him to have a great game on the boards and assumed the points would come from there. I was shocked to see that he only grabbed three rebounds in 25 minutes with a three-inch advantage over their biggest player. He did finish with 11 points on 5-9 shooting and had three blocks, so I can’t complain too much, but I was still left a bit disappointed.

Defensive rotations: I know I’m getting nitpicky here, but we struggled on some missed switches and rotations, and Marquette made us pay (heavily) by shooting 12-19 from behind the arc. (That’s 63% if you’re keeping score at home.) How much of it was Marquette getting hot, and how much of it was poor perimeter defense? I’d lean on the former, but we could still tighten things up a bit.

On to the positives:

Quincy “F”ing Pondexter: His confidence is “Roy-esque.” With apologies to the future wife I’ve yet to meet, I’m naming my first son (or daughter) Quincy Roy Bennett. It’s a done deal. Relive the moment again here.

After only scoring 4 points in the first half, he finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds earning his most important double-double of the year. Thank you, Quincy. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done this year. I know your number most likely won’t be retired, but #20 will always be yours in my book.

Isaiah Thomas: My man. Broken bone? No problem. He kept us afloat in the first half with that red-hot hand. 19 points, 8 assists, three rebounds, and 3-5 from deep. Congrats, Zeke, you just had the greatest game of your career on the brightest stage possible. This salute is for you. Word AAPP!

Team Defense in the game’s final 14 minutes: Venoy Overton and Darnell “The Gantula” Gant led a clinic on how to apply pressure to hot shooters. Even though V.O. didn’t record a steal, Maurice Acker will join the long list of players who have ball-handling nightmares courtesy of Venoy.

Gant, who was switched onto Hayward after MBA couldn’t cut it, played exceptionally. I don’t know what hole he crawled into this year, but Darnell circa 2008/2009 came out just in time.

Elston Turner: R.I.P. “Turner vs. Suggs” debate. Captain Clutch is here to stay. After back-to-back huge moments for the Dawgs, Elston “Kyra Sedgwick” Turner is a player I want with the ball in his hands in the final five minutes. He finished as our third leading scorer with 14 points, three rebounds, and shot 4-5 from downtown.

Remember what you were wearing and where you were because they both better be the same on Saturday. Same bar, same underwear, same beer, same friends. Am I superstitious? No, I’m just a little-stitious. Go Dawgs!

Thanks for coming!

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Take That, Mr. President!

March 18, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 4 comments

Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images

The Huskies won their first-round game against Marquette in an instant classic, 80-78.

Quincy Pondexter drove the lane and scored with 1.7 seconds left to give the Huskies the win.

The Dawgs came back from a 15-point deficit in the game’s final 13 minutes. They shot nearly 56% from the field, and shot 9-14 from three-point range, in their best performance of the season, bar none.

More later. . . GO HUSKIES!

Thanks for coming!

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Not Ready for the Ride to End

March 17, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 4 comments

roller coasteAnyone else’s head spinning? Anyone else afraid it’s not going to stop in time to watch the Huskies in the first-round of the NCAA Tournament in just a few hours?

I mean, talk about a weird, up-and-down season: From being the 13th ranked team in the country to proving they have no shot at all against a Division I opponent outside of their own building with seven straight losses, to looking like they can play with anyone, anywhere over the past month, with seven straight wins (all but one outside of Hec Ed).

A week ago, I was completely prepared for the eventual end of this sometimes puzzling season. Sad, but resigned to six months without Husky hoops starting after the Pac-10 Tournament.

A week ago, I figured that Selection Sunday would be somewhere between a hopeless exercise (if we lost in the Pac-10 Tournament’s first round) and an iffy proposition (if we made it to the final and lost to Cal).

But these Huskies literally saved their best for last. In the midst of racking up 24 wins, I haven’t really felt like I believed in this team until this very moment.  Now, I’m not ready to say “good-bye” anymore.

So this roller coaster season gets us here: to the NCAA Tournament, as an 11-seed, playing a geographically favorable game against a good-but-not-great school from the Big East.

We’ve won seven straight, vanquishing champion Cal for the second time this year, and twelve of our last fourteen games. All of a sudden we’re on a roll, and I want to see more.

So yeah, I’ve filled out six brackets in the last three days, and all of them have Washington beating Marquette on Thursday. Four of them have Washington winning their second round game too. I’ve bought into this sometimes frustrating, but never boring squad, and I just hope my bubble doesn’t burst in a hurry Thursday.

Call me crazy, but I believe we’ll be right here on Friday talking about New Mexico (or Montana), and that it’s quite possible we’ll have a few days next week when we’ll try to convince ourselves we can beat West Virginia, or whoever else comes out of that bottom portion of the draw.

Or, we won’t. And, it all ends tomorrow.

Either way, I’m going to enjoy 40 more minutes with these guys. It hasn’t always been pretty. There were definitely moments this year when I thought the Huskies were all but finished. But, we’re here, and I couldn’t be happier.

One more game, at least. But, hopefully more than that. I’m just not ready for this ride to end.

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Game Preview: UW vs. Marquette (First-Round Game)

March 17, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 19 comments

UW Marquette previewHere’s a game preview of the Huskies’ first-round game against Marquette from one of our new staff writers. Thanks, Craig!

by Craig Yamada (formerly “WhoLetTheDawgsOut”) – Staff Writer

Marquette: Under the Scope

Simply put, UW will need to bring their ponchos and umbrellas to San Jose, because Marquette plans to rain down from three-point land come Thursday evening. That pretty much sums up the sixth-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles, UW’s opening round opponent, in a nutshell.

They are the top ranked three-point shooting team in the Big East (40.6%) and their performance during the Big East tournament reinforced that stat (27-56 from three in three games).

That being said, they are perfect match for UW in the opening round. They are undersized and have a run-and-gun style offense. Looking at UW’s performance this season, their most difficult matchups were against teams with length and size (Georgetown and USC).  Many have compared Marquette’s style to Cal’s, given their accurate shooting and good guard play.

I, however, beg to differ. Although they are a prominent three-point shooting team, they’re much quicker than Cal. Their 1-4 spots can all handle the ball, and all seem to be as quick (if not quicker) than Jerome Randle and Patrick Christopher. The Golden Eagles rotate the ball better than most around the perimeter and find open shots. They are small, fast, and play an up-tempo game. On average, they use about 10-12 seconds of the shot clock before hoisting up a shot. They score 74 points a game and yield only 64 to their opponents. Strap yourselves in because we are in for a shootout.

Let’s meet Marquette:

Lineup:

F – Lazar Hayward, 6’6″, Sr., 18.1 ppg
F – Jimmy Butler, 6’6″, Jr., 14.9 ppg
G – Darius Johnson-Odom, 6’2″, So., 12.8 ppg
G – Maurice Acker, 5’8″, Sr., 8.5 ppg

G – David Cubillan, 6’0″, Sr., 6.6 ppg

Lazar Hayward: When speaking of Hayward, Romar noted that “he is impressive.” Having been a teammate of Hayward’s on Team USA this past summer, Q-Pon has declared that UW will “have their hands full” with him. I cannot disagree after watching his arsenal of offensive skills during the Big East Tournament. Averaging 18.1 points per game, the offense runs through him and he gets a touch on nearly every offensive set. He can play a very diverse role for Marquette taking you off the dribble in isolation, or he can linger around the three point arc waiting for a guard to penetrate and kick the ball to him in the corner. Mr. Holiday, meet your new assignment.

Jimmy Butler: He is their lone post presence. From what I have seen of him, he is quick and athletic. Though he lacks height in the post, his fundamentals are impressive as his signature baseline spin with his back to the basket has given defenders trouble. He also makes a living on the offensive boards and scores primarily as their garbage man (a DeAngelo Casto style offensive player). MBA and Tyreese Breshers will need to keep a body on this guy at all times when shots go up.

Darius Johnson-Odom: The third scoring option amongst the starting five. He’s a solid jump shooter who can take anyone off the dribble. You will find him with his other three teammates lurking around the arc just waiting for a drive and kick opportunity.

Maurice Acker: Although Hayward, Butler and Odom garner the most defensive attention, the silent assassin is Acker. A quick drive and kick kind of a PG who slashes the lane and can fit through crevices that most guards cannot (a poor man’s IT). He’s also a talented three-point scorer if he receives the ball in rhythm.

David Cubillan: Cubillan looks to be the last scoring option in this talented starting five. Make no mistake, though, he is a threat from the outside, shooting nearly 40% from the arc. Look for him to wait for the ball off a pick-and-roll and pull up for a jumper.

Marquette’s Offense:

Excuse the pun, but Buzz Williams runs a very simple “spread eagle” style offense. Four of their five players live around the arc with Jimmy Butler anchored in the post. Their entire offense is reliant on finding the open man outside the arc as they live and die from the three-point line. All five of their starters boast a three-point percentage over 35%. They also run a pick-and-roll at the top of the key where the screener rolls off and opens himself up for a three-point shot.

They can also get up and down the floor just as quickly as UW can. They are smart and do not turn the ball over much (10.3/game). The danger in their offense is the arsenal that every player possesses. Each player in the starting lineup has the ability to take their man off the dribble. Each player passes like a true PG. And four of their five starters are legit three point threats.

Once a player slashes, the remaining players lurking on the arc slide to the open spot. The slasher often finds the open man with crisp and smart passing. Much like UW, they crash the offensive boards hard and get a lot of second chance opportunities with those big bounces off the rim from long-range misses.

How UW can defend Marquette:

Force them into the middle: From what I’ve seen, other than Hayward, their others players do not slash to the middle for the purpose of scoring, but rather to penetrate and pass. Our shot blockers will be waiting if that they do try and take it to the hole.

Jump the screen: We must jump screens on their pick-and-rolls at all costs to avoid a three-point barrage from their guards.

Do not double team or collapse: The biggest error of Marquette’s opponents has been leaving their man open on the wings when trying to help out on a penetrating guard. If we are to win this game, we have to eliminate the three-point arc altogether. If UW forces them to beat us in the lane where MBA will be lurking, I like our chances.

Rebound: Simple fundamentals of boxing out will prove their worth against a feisty Eagles team.

Marquette’s Defense

For the majority of the game, they like to play a man-to-man defensive set. They do throw in an occasional zone to shake things up, but not often. They also run a half-court trap and try to force opposing guards toward the sideline. Most of the turnovers they generate are off steals from this trap. They are not much of shotblocking team but their defensive pressure causes problems for opposing teams. They are the top-rated defense in the Big East against the three-point shot, so our bigs will have an opportunity to have big days.

How UW can beat Marquette’s defense:

Attack the inside and bring the ball to the middle. Georgetown absolutely murdered them inside by driving the lane by feeding Vaughn and Monroe in the post all night long. MBA and Q-Pon need to get going in the post early and often as their height advantages should be the key to victory. If we can establish an inside presence and make the defense collapse, the arc should free itself as a result

Our guards need to slash. As mentioned before, Marquette is one of the best against the three-pointer which means the middle is often open. If we do drive to the basket, our bigs will need to be ready to receive the ball as the inside is open more often than not.

Second-chance points will be huge for UW. With Marquette’s suffocating half-court trap, they tend to be weaker on the glass as they place more emphasis on the perimeter.

Back Door is open. If Marquette tries to double-team Q-Pon in the post like every other team, I.T., Venoy, and Elston Turner will likely see a lot of open shots if they flash back door.

UW’s main concerns:

Matthew Bryan-Amaning taking too much time in the post. MBA will have about a half a second less to make his moves in the post. Marquette’s defense is like a swarm of bees that collapses on its prey. If MBA brings the ball down when he catches it, he will find himself turning the ball over to the Marquette defenders. He must keep the ball up near his shoulders to take full advantage of his size advantage.

Turning the ball over will spell DISASTER for the Dawgs. Marquette tends to suffocate opponents with their defensive pressure. The 12 turnovers we saw against Cal cannot repeat if we’re going to win this game.

Abdul Gaddy needs to mature quickly and show he can handle the rock in a big game. Venoy is likely to be in foul trouble and we’ll need the freshman to be game-ready for a good portion of the game.

The Huskies’ keys to victory:

Keep Hayward out of rhythm. Justin Holiday will most likely draw the prize of guarding Lazar Hayward. He will need to be in his pocket all game. He can draw fouls like no other, much like our very own Qunicy Pondexter. We may need to attack this guy by committee as the game goes on. Darnell Gant could really prove his worth in this game if he draws Hayward as a defensive assignment.

Get Marquette into foul trouble. Marquette only goes about seven players deep. If we get Hayward or another one of their scorers in foul trouble, the game should open up for us.

Keep fresh legs on the court. With Marquette’s lineup, giving them constant defensive pressure will keep us competitive. The fact that we go ten deep will help us in this game.

Force Turnovers: So has been the story all year, our defense leads to instant offense by scoring in transition. Nothing changes here. The task is simply harder against such a skilled squad.

My pick:

This should be a barn burner, but personal bias aside, I’ll take UW, 82-78.

What do you think?

Thanks for coming!

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New Site Covering Northwest Sports

March 16, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

Just wanted to point you all to a new blog and internet radio show by the guy who was running UDubSports.com the past few years, Ryan Pettit.

I’m expecting big things out of Ryan’s new endeavors, and like what I see (and hear) so far.

Take a look at let me know what you think.

Thanks for coming!

 

Huskies Bear Striking Resemblance to Elite Eight Team of the Past

March 16, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 7 comments

We had one of our staff writers here at Montlake Madness do some digging into how other higher-seeded teams from power conferences have done over the years.The striking resemblance the Dawgs have to one very successful team from the last decade is heartening to say the least.

by Tim Keeney – Staff Writer

Just how much damage can the Huskies do as an 11-seed coming out of a power conference?

Let’s take a look at the successes and failures of double-digit seeds from the traditional six power conferences over the past 10 years. Here are the win/loss records of big-conference teams seeded 10-13 from 2001 through 2009:

First Round:

10 seeds: 9 wins – 11 losses
11 seeds: 1-6 (Yikes!)
12 seeds: 5-2

13 seeds: 0-1

Second Round:

10 seeds: 3-6
11 seeds: 0-1

12 seeds: 3-2

Sweet 16:

10 seeds: 0-2

12 seeds: 1-2

Elite 8:

12 seeds: 0-1

The Huskies coming into the tournament with 24 wins as a double-digit seed is unprecedented for a power conference team. 2001 Georgetown (10 seed), 2004 South Carolina (10 seed), 2007 Illinois (12 seed) and 2009 Mississippi State (13 seed) all had 23 wins, and any team with more was seeded ninth or higher.

Something that really jumped out at me is that more power-conference teams have been receiving double digit seeds as of late. Out of the seven power-conference 12-seeds of the past decade, six of them have come since 2006. Five of the seven 11-seeds have come since 2005. Put this together with the fact that less upsets have been happening the past few years, and it seems the committee is getting better at the seeding game, giving mid-majors more respect.

Now, lets take a look at the power-conference double-digit seeds that had the most success:

2003 #10 Auburn – Sweet 16

Beat #7 St. Joes, #2 Wake Forest, and lost to eventual National Champion Syracuse by one point in the Sweet 16. Best player was Marquis Daniels, but they also had Marco Killingsworth and I can’t speak for everyone, but I know I would be scared to play against someone with that name. They had 20 wins, an RPI of 34, a road/NC record of 4-7, and were 5-7 in their last 12 heading into the tourney.

2008 #12 Villanova – Sweet 16

Beat #5 Clemson, #13 Siena, and got blown out by #1 and eventual champ Kansas. They had 20 wins, an RPI of 54, a road/NC record of 8-9, and went 7-5 in their last 12.

Other teams that made it to the Sweet 16:

2001 #10 Georgetown (No way they should have been a 10-seed that year), 2005 #10 NC State, and 2009 #12 Arizona.

Qualifiers in this year’s tournament: #10 Georgia Tech, #10 Florida, #10 Missouri, #11 Washington, #11 Minnesota. Look out for Minnesota. It’s the year of the 11 seed.

But, the team that resembles this year’s Huskies the most is the only power-conference double-digit seed to make it past the Sweet 16 since 2001. The similarities are pretty striking:

They had terrific guard play and only a single senior. The Huskies have a single senior too (Hello, Mr. Pondexter), and terrific guards.

They had eight guys who played more than 13 minutes per game. We have 10 who average more than 10 MPG. Depth is key in March.

They averaged 79.9 PPG. The Huskies average 79.8.

Their RPI was 41. Ours is 42.

Their strength of schedule was 68. UW’s is 73.

Their road and neutral court record was 8-8. Ours is 7-7.

And the doppelganger is. . .

2002 #12 Missouri – Elite 8

Beat #5 Miami, #4 Ohio State, and #8 UCLA. Scored 80+ points in each game and then lost to #2 Oklahoma with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Led by Kareem Rush, Missouri came into the tournament that year with 21 wins, an RPI of 41, a road/neutral court record of 8-8, and were 6-6 in their last 12 games.

The biggest difference between us and them is that we are coming into the tournament after finishing 10-2 , which is a lot hotter than Mizzou was.

I would say that resembling the most successful power-conference double-digit seeded team of the last 10 years this closely should give us more than a modicum of hope for our Huskies. Bring on Marquette.

Thanks for coming!

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A Look Ahead at Potential Husky Opponents

March 15, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | 9 comments

New staff writer Anthony Cassino takes a thorough look at most of the teams the Huskies might see in the East Region if they can make a run through the NCAA Tournament. Thanks, Anthony, for the breakdown!

by Anthony Cassino – Staff Writer

Opening Round Opponent: Marquette (six seed)

What They Do Well: The Golden Eagles take care of the ball as well as anybody, turning it over just 15.8% of the time (fith best in the nation). They are an excellent shooting team. Nearly all of their players can shoot the three-ball, hitting 40.6% from three point range this season. Jimmy Butler is one of the most efficient offensive players in college basketball. His offensive rating of 131.4 is 3rd best in the nation. He’s 6-6, and can score from anywhere on the floor.

Marquette’s weaknesses: Interior defense is a big issue for Marquette, as they are allowing their opponents to shoot 50% from inside the arc. Their lack of size (no regular players over 6’7″) means that teams with solid big men can give them fits. They are also lacking in depth, having only six players who log serious minutes, and a seventh who gives them around 10 minutes a game.

How They Match Up: The Huskies have a size advantage with Matthew Bryan-Amaning in the post, and the Dawgs will likely look to get the ball down low as often as possible. The matchup of Lazar Hayward and Quincy Pondexter will be one to keep an eye on, as they’re of similar size and do a lot of the same things for their team. Marquette doesn’t have much shot-blocking at all, so Isaiah Thomas should be able to score if he can penetrate the defense.

What to expect: This should be an interesting game because of the contrasting styles. Marquette plays slow; the Huskies push the tempo. Marquette shoots the three well; UW defends the three well. Marquette takes care of the ball; the Huskies are good at forcing turnovers. It seems like whichever team has the stronger will should have the upper hand.

Potential Second Round Opponent: New Mexico (three seed)

What They Do Well: The Lobos are a phenomenal defensive rebounding team, allowing opponents to get offensive rebounds just 26.9% of the time (fifth best in the nation). They’re one of those teams that does pretty much everything well: they’re above average at shooting the three, they block shots, they don’t turn the ball over and they get to the free throw line.

Weaknesses: Their free throw shooting leaves something to be desired (67.7%) and like Marquette, you can score inside the arc against them (allowing opponents to shoot 49.1% from two).

How They Match Up: Because New Mexico does so many things well, they’re a tough matchup for most teams. Since Lorenzo Romar arrived at UW, the Dawgs have hung their hat on their offensive rebounding, yet that’s one of the things that New Mexico is best at preventing. Should the Huskies meet New Mexico, scoring inside would be key, so it would be imperative for Matthew Bryan-Amaning to stay out of foul trouble.

Potential Second Round Opponent: Montana (fourteen seed)

What They Do Well: Another good three-point shooting team, at 39.8% (11th in the nation), but really, they shoot the ball well from anywhere, connecting at a rate of 52%. The best thing they did all season, though, was get hot and win the Big Sky tournament to get the automatic bid – if they hadn’t they wouldn’t be dancing.

Weaknesses: They don’t force many turnovers, and allow teams to shoot the lights out against them. They don’t really have the talent to play with the upper echelon teams in the tournament for more than a game or two. (Although, Montana did give the Huskies all they could handle in a 63-59 UW win earlier this year.)

How They Match Up: Montana threw a zone at the Huskies that gave them fits for most of the game earlier this year. If not for a spurious foul on Brian Qvale which forced him to the bench, they could have beaten the Huskies. However, this is definitely not that same Husky team, and UW would be the favorite by a longshot on talent alone. For Montana to get by New Mexico, Anthony Johnson would have to get hot so the Grizzlies could ride him like they did in their conference tournament. If they were to meet the Huskies the same would be true, though that may not be enough against any of these teams.

Potential Sweet 16 Opponent: West Virginia (two seed)

What They Do Well: They create a ton of second-chance opportunities as the second-best offensive rebounding team in the natio.  They take care of the ball and block their fair share of shots. They have the talent to match up with just about any team in the nation.

Weaknesses: Relative to their seed, their defense isn’t overwhelming. Their field goal defense doesn’t blow you away, and they don’t force that many turnovers. They also tend to put their opponent on the line quite a bit.

How They Match Up: They play at an incredibly slow tempo, which is curious for a team with as much talent as WVU. Their size would be troublesome for the Dawgs as their starters go 6’2″, 6’7″, 6’7″, 6’8″, 6’9″, and there’s not a player in their rotation under 6’2″. This is a team that could very easily have been a one seed, so the Dawgs would need to play their best ball to beat them.

Potential Sweet 16 Opponent: Clemson (seven seed)

What They Do Well: Force a lot of turnovers and don’t give their opposition good looks at three-pointers. A very good defensive team.

Weaknesses: They turn the ball over a lot and aren’t a good free throw shooting team. The Tigers will let you beat them on the offensive glass.

How They Match Up: The Huskies would be really lucky to see Clemson in the Sweet 16. Two of the biggest things you can’t do against the Huskies (allow offensive rebounds and turn the ball over) are Clemson’s two biggest faults.

Potential Sweet 16 Opponent: Missouri (ten seed)

What They Do Well: Defense, defense, defense. Missouri presses and traps to force a ton of turnovers. If you’re not prepared for the pressure they apply they will run you out of the building. If they get rolling, they use their defense to score quickly, and can play themselves right back into a game it looked like they were out of.

Weaknesses: One of the worst defensive rebounding teams in the nation as a result of their style. If you can break their full court defense, you can get a lot of easy baskets.

How They Match Up: Missouri is annoying for anybody to play, but the UW has three capable point guards, and forwards who can handle the ball well which is a must against Missouri’s pressure. UW’s speed getting the ball upcourt would make it tough for the Tigers to get their defense set up. A UW/Mizzou matchup would be incredible to watch because of how quickly the teams would play.

Potential Elite 8 Opponent: Kentucky (one seed)

What They Do Well: Pretty much everything.

Weaknesses: Not many. Could be better with turnovers (forcing and preventing) and shoot the three better, but that’s picking nits.

How They Match Up: There’s a reason Kentucky’s a one seed. They have a ton of talent and are well coached. They’re young though, so they’re not always consistent. But, neither are the Huskies. It would take a great effort to beat them.

Potential Elite 8 Opponent: Temple (five seed)

What They Do Well: One of the best defensive teams in the nation. Best effective field goal defense of anybody in college basketball.

Weaknesses: Don’t force turnovers and don’t get to the free throw line.

How They Match Up: They’re a lot like the Cougars under the Bennetts. They play good defense and really slow, so it’s hard to blow them out, but they also let teams hang around. Lorenzo Romar didn’t have a lot of success against that style of play. Expect every Temple game in the tourney to be pretty close.

Potential Elite 8 Opponent: Wisconsin (four seed)

What They Do Well: They’re a typical Bo Ryan team: defense and rebounding. They very rarely turn the ball over.

Weaknesses: They’re not great on the offensive glass, but mostly because they’re a “get back on defense” type of team.

How They Match Up: Stylistically, they’re the exact opposite of Washington. The Badgers would be a matchup nightmare because they do everything the exact opposite way the Huskies do, and they’re better at doing it their way than we are at ours.

Thanks for coming!

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Firsthand Account of Today’s Selection Sunday Event at Don James Center

March 14, 2010 in Uncategorized by Themod | No comments

selection partyMontlake Madness Staff Writer Josh Liebeskind was at today’s Selection Sunday viewing party with coaches, players and fans. Here’s his first-person account:

by Josh Liebeskind – Staff Writer

The “W” flashed onto the screen and the room exploded with cheers.

Unfortunately, we were all cheering for Wofford.

Finally, the correct logo appeared on the screen and was followed by a prolonged cheer. The Washington Men’s Basketball team jumped out of their seats and celebrated their name being called by Greg Gumbel on CBS.

A few hundred fans packed into the Don James Center, high above the football field at Husky Stadium in Seattle, joining the players and coaches to watch the Selection Show.

Anticipation gripped the room, and finally, after what seemed like eons, it was announced that Washington had drawn Marquette. An interesting matchup, because the talk had been of potential showdowns with BYU, Texas, or Gonzaga. Instead, though, the Huskies drew a somewhat unknown Marquette Golden Eagles team.

The atmosphere in the Don James Center was electric after the announcement. The players split off to opposite sides of the room and opened themselves up to reporters and fans looking for autographs.

Quincy Pondexter briefly set the Pac-10 Tournament Championship trophy down to take to an onslaught of reporters. I edged close to Quincy to hear what he had to say, but also managed to slyly touch the trophy. When I put my full attention on Quincy after managing to touch the trophy, I noticed some interesting things.

Although Marquette is a completely foreign team to most of the Dawgs, Quincy is very familiar with forward Lazar Hayward. He talked about playing with Hayward this summer on team USA at the World University games in Serbia. I haven’t seen Hayward play at all, but by the way Quincy described him, Washington will have its hands full.

Coach Lorenzo Romar talked about the similar style of play the two teams share. Both like to get out and run he said. He didn’t seem too hung up on the seeding and where the Huskies were placed, but did talk about playing in San Jose. He seemed excited to be playing on the West Coast and urged fans to make the trip to San Jose.

Guard, and Pac-10 tournament MVP, Isaiah Thomas was swamped by fans and didn’t get much of a chance to talk to reporters. There were about 20 young kids looking for pictures and autographs, and “I.T.” as fans lovingly call him looked like he wanted a reporter to save him.

Other players weren’t as swamped, but I caught tidbits of an interview with freshman guard Abdul Gaddy who talked about the importance of preparing and coming out strong no matter who the Huskies were playing. It seemed that the common theme to what all players and coaches were saying was it doesn’t matter who was on the other bench — they were happy to be in and were going to do all they could to take advantage of their opportunity.

As I made my way to the door, I passed through a group of players. Scott Suggs, Elston Turner, Clarence Trent, and C.J. Wilcox were joking around and seemed in a light mood. Suggs seemed to think he had class tomorrow before being harangued by his teammates, who finally reminded him it was finals week.

Let’s hope the Huskies know more about the Golden Eagles before Thursday than Suggs does about his classes.

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